By default, the Electrical Engine requires 6 EU/t to produce 2MJ/t, but these values can be modified to an extent. It can be connected to any voltage without exploding, and will not waste EU if supplied with more than it needs. For example, when connected to an MFSU it will only take 6 EU/t to produce 2 MJ/t, not the full 2048 EU/t available.

To operate, the Electrical Engine requires a Redstone signal, such as an adjacent lever or Redstone torch, as well as sufficient IndustrialCraft energy.

The Electrical Engine will automatically shut down when overheating rather than explode, and reactivates itself after cooldown.

The Electrical Engine can be upgraded with Copper, Bronze, Tin and Iron Electron Tubes placed on a Circuit Board with a Soldering Iron. If you break an Electrical Engine with a Circuit Board in it, the Circuit Board will be lost. In the GUI of the Electrical Engine you need to take your Soldering Iron and click the upgrade to take it out. The upgrade will then be placed in an empty slot of your inventory and you can place your Soldering Iron back in your inventory.

Note that the ratio listed is assuming you only use one tube (two tubes in parentheses). Depending on the type of circuit board used, up to 4 tubes may be combined to modify the power consumption and generation values in different ways, but the "max per board" limit for each type of tube must be observed.